Tuesday, November 17, 2009

THE POPULARITY of Francis Joseph Guevara Escudero, now senator of the republic and possible presidential aspirant for 2010, has been attributed to many things. Some claim it is his eloquence. Many have marveled at his ability to stretch a single thought into a 20-minute social commentary, dripping with synonyms and similes, delivered with the same deadpan efficiency of a call center agent explaining to the 38th caller just why their electricity went off in the storm. Others claim it is his looks, this tall lean man in shirtsleeves surrounded by colleagues carting potbellies in embroidered pineapple silk shirts. According to his personal website, his “rise into the nation’s consciousness” is nothing less than “meteoric.” He is described as “consistently leading surveys as the most trusted official of the land,” and his various distinctions—including the recent “Most Admired TV Personality” in 2008—proves “he has not gone unnoticed.”

The most trusted official in the land, an Escudero of Sorsogon, spent the nine years of his political career in the comfortable embrace of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). In the last few months, although coy about his political intentions—“I try not to think about it”—he was the party’s acknowledged standard-bearer, the darling of leadership forums and youth conferences. With his very recent defection from the NPC on the grounds of personal conviction, the man who defended convicted plunderer Joseph Estrada has become the golden boy of principled leadership, another touchstone of national change on the heels of Noynoy Aquino’s rise as the nation’s moral, if less articulate choice.

Escudero announced he was defecting from the NPC, at a press conference where, both press and his party believed, he would finally declare his intentions to run for president. He gave three reasons.

First, he says that whoever plans to run as president must not belong to any party, not NPC, LP, NP, Lakas or any other, but must belong to the party of the Philippine people. In the grand tradition of Chiz Escudero, the rhetoric flowed on greased wheels. This is the ideal presidential candidate: “All his partymates must be all Filipinos. Child or adult, woman or man, rich or poor, the educated and the not, yellow or red of color, whether a supporter or not, should be treated equally and the same. He cannot only see and hear what his partymates say, while he sees only from afar those who do not belong to his party, those who do not belong to his group.”

Second, he says, “whoever is running, will run, or will become president of the nation must not be chained hand and foot to the party.” If this is all that will happen, he says, the same as ever before, he cannot resolve the nation’s problems. “For me, one party cannot dictate the actions of whoever is running for office. If this is the case, how can he hold accountable the corrupt in government if they belong to his own party?” He gave, to his credit, a list of concrete changes from welfare to security to the state of the oil industry.

But third, he says, “I am leaving my party because I believe that in this way I can achieve what I am to do and the role I am meant to fulfill with regard to the elections, at this time, at this minute, not as a member of any party, not as a partner to anyone, but only myself, as myself.”

In summary, this is what all three of his points mean: A man running for president must not belong to a party, because to belong to a party is to give up independence of action.

In a follow-up interview with TV Patrol’s Ted Failon, asked on what occasion his party has unfairly dictated his actions and choices, Escudero denied he can be dictated to.

“I have never been influenced by my party. When the majority of my partymates partnered with GMA, I was the leader of the opposition in Congress. When some of my partymates ran under the administration in 2007, I ran under the Genuine Opposition, and they respected and accepted it.”

It is difficult to understand then Escudero’s sudden denouncement of party loyalties. With the unimpeachable character he claims to possess, there seems to be little need for the fuss and drama of a party defection. He claims, although he has never been influenced as senator or congressman, to run for president demands more. Assuming there is truth to his claim, he is admitting he suspects he will have less personal conviction as a president, or he believes less was needed as a congressman.

Every party defection is generally a political decision, and the few ideological ones are far between. After all, there is a reason why parties exist in this nation, and it is not for some vaunted idea of ideology. Every party announces good governance as its platform, with little to no variation from over the fence. A party provides machinery, offers financial support, provides a network that can cross over a country as dispersed as the Philippines. I have little to say about the practicability of Escudero’s remaining in the NPC, what I find distasteful is the great white banner of morality he is waving to justify a political decision. Perhaps there is truth in rumors of a lack of financial support, or a falling-out between party members, but whatever the reason, I find it difficult to swallow Escudero’s defection as a righteous stand, the same way I cannot buy Jose de Venecia Jr.’s moral revolution.

The rhetoric shoots itself in the foot. He claims he cannot be corrupted, that his decisions are his own. He denies his party has ever influenced him in the past. And yet he raises an indignant finger at the concept of party loyalties itself, as if a party, irrelevant of the man, can compromise a presidency. He denounces the idea of looking only to a party for advice, when nothing compels a man to look only to his own party. His entire list of changes he wants done are admirable, none of which have anything to do with whether or not he belongs to a party—assuming of course he is the same man he claims to have been in Congress. If he wants to strip himself of the dirt of his own particular party, well and good, but again, it has little to do with the concept of a party, and more to say about the NPC itself.

I do not write this to defend the NPC, or to celebrate the less than admirable goals of the existing party system. I write this because I am offended by one man claiming to be a hero when he is simply a man who made a choice for himself, the same as most men, I write this because I am one of the young people he claims to represent. Mostly, I write this because, very frankly, I cannot trust a man whose mouth says one thing, and his eyes another.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Father Ignacio is the healing priest of the Rosary.He is excellent and truly cures.He has performed many miracles of healing..........Praying is good for us.I know that I chose wisely and am sure that we will receive strength,wisdom,peace and divine light.

This is a novena of Father Ignacio that he began the10th of January 2005, and still has not been broken....

When you receive it,pray a Hail Mary and ask for a special favor......You will see what will happen on the 4th day of having received this.

Hail Mary,full of grace! The Lord is with thee,blessed are you amongst women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb,Jesus.Holy Mary,Mother of God,pray for us sinners,now and at the hour of our death.Amen" ( Ask your favor...)

Please do not break this novena.Send it to 12 persons that you believe deserve justice,love,health,prosperity and well being.But do not forward it.

Copy it and paste it in a new email so that it will not be lost.Thank You.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Past has nothing to do with the future. It should be left behind. Experiences must be learned well and genuinely lived up. No matter how odd old days were, whether closure was reached or not,it does not necessarily matter anymore, what is most valuable is that one was able to forgive. Suppression is not even an option. Undesirable memories, heartaches, sufferings, and pain we all need to deal with them all. I have searched for their meanings in my life. I have optimistically found how they have molded me into a better person but it does not mean I am already an expert. I have had my disastrous fall but am proud to say I manage to get up. I see the good side of life, I see my Creator leading me to where He wanted me to be. Dreams were not really that hard to achieve if we remain holy and obedient to His commands. We will still reap the grandiose harvest nevertheless we are reminded still to be mindful that there are more challenges in life to come.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

We don't know why John Paul II wanted to hide this picture for years. The Vatican published this picture recently, for first time. This picture was taken by one of his security guards just when the Pope was attacked and was falling down in his Papamobil. You can see the pain in his face.

Take a look at the above picture. You can see Mother Mary holding John Paul II in Her arms when he was shot in 1981.This happened on May 13, 1981. Pope John Paul II was shot as he arrived in St. Peters Square to speak to the people who had gathered there. When he was shot, he was holding the rosary, which he always carried. When he fell to the ground, out of nowhere, a woman rushed to his side and embraced him. That pic is shown above. The picture is said to have been taken by one of the gathered people who was busy taking Popes pics with his camera.. The woman vanished as quickly as she appeared.The gunman was apprehended in the square and sentenced to life in prison. The pope was critically wounded but survived after surgery and a long recovery. The surprising fact is that all the bullets passed just past his vital internal organs. When he recovered finally, the first thing Pope asked for was his rosary. When he got it in his hands, he said that he felt Mother Mary directing the bullets path through him.Sure, John Paul II was always in the habit of praying the rosary regularly. He had once said The best prayer I like is the Rosary.Joaquin Navarro Valls, who is the one spokesman from The Vatican, said that they made a lot of studies for years of this incredible picture and of course about the quality of the developing of the picture because when it was developed nobody could see very well because the image was not clear. Finally, and after so many controls and being looking and checking by all the experts in ph otogra ph y (around the world), they decided that there were no tricks in it and today they give us this beautiful gift from our Mother of God. You can see the Mother of God holding John Paul II in her arms. Beautiful right?I dont know whether You will believe me or not. But many do.. And among those who believed, Bishop Thomas Wenski recreated the picture on a glass window at his Florida residence. You can see that belowPLEASE READ WITH FAITH.This is an awesome prayer.Believe it and you shall be blessed.The problem with many of us is that we don't believe that God will open a window and pour out blessings that we won't have room to receive them.. I dare anyone to try God. He is true to His w ord. God cannot lie and His promises are sure.Three things will happen to you this coming week:(1) You will find favor with someone you don't expect;(2) You will be too relevant to be ignored;(3) You will encounter God and you will never remain the same again..My prayer for you today:The eyes beholding this message shall not behold evil, the hands that will send this message to others shall not labor in vain, the mouth saying Amen to this prayer shall laugh forever. Remain in God's love as you send this prayer to everybody on your list. Have a lovely journey of life! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will never fail you because He is AWESOME !If you truly need a blessing, continue reading this email:Heavenly Father, most Gracious and Loving God, I pray to you that you abundantly bless my family and me. I know that you recognize, that a family is more than just a mother, father, sister, brother, husband and wife, but all who believe and trust in you. Father, I send up a prayer request for blessings for not only the person who sent this to me, but for me and all that I have forwarded this message on to.. And that the power of joined prayer by those who believe and trust in you is more powerful than anything. I thank you in advance for your blessings.Father God, deliver the person reading this right now from debt and debt's burdens. Release Your Godly wisdom that I may be a good steward over all that You have given me Father, for I know how wonderful and mighty You are and how if we just obey You and walk In Your word and have the faith of a mustard seed that You will pour out blessings. I thank You now Lord for the recent blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come because I know You are not done with me yet.. In Jesus' name, I pray.Amen .TAKE 60 SECONDS and send this on quickly and within hours, you will have caused a multitude of people to pray to God for each other.Then sit back and watch the power of God work in your life for doing the thing that you know He loves. Remain Blessed!!!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Right now people look up to Noynoy Aquino for presidential position. A lot of people made comments that he has not proven his leadership abilities and intellectual capacities. In short he has not done something that would make him a significant father of Philippine nation. On the other hand, some shared that he is the lesser evil among all candidates. His non invovlement to graft and corruption, zero records of offenses, abuses and illegal activities and never been in a hot seat for complaints made him the strongest candidate for presidency. In short, people find him trustworthy. They compare Noynoy to President Marcos, President Erap and President Gloria. Is he really the opposite of these three famous power-abuser and corrupt presidents? I doubt he is not or is he?. People ideally would want a president who works for the good of the people and the nation, if its true that Noynoy has not instrumentally contributed for the good of our country will that still mean he can be the best. Did he ever take part in doing something to help build a better nation? Did he ever tried rolling up his sleeves and get dirty at promoting peace and unity in our country? What effort did he confidently make that inspired us people? During those uncertain times, political crisis, chaos and difficulties, what role did he portrayed? Was he tolerant of ambiguity or too tolerant that he did not even function well and seen as passive? Is he really committeed to excellence? Better read and reread again, think and rethink again. We need wisdom to better understand who is the best.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

If anyone needed a huge postfight bonus at UFC 104, it was Pat Barry. The heavyweight out of New Orleans, scored Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night for his victory over Antoni Hardonk. That was good enough for $120,000. Good thing, Barry needed the infusion of cash in the worst way. He confirmed to MMAScrapsRadio that he was completely down on his luck before the fight, agreeing that he had little to eat in Los Angeles the week of the fight.

"I still had my apartment but if something would've happened and the fight had been canceled, I would've been evicted six days later."

Barry, 30, said he didn't even tell his trainer Duke Roufus for fear that he would think the fighter had the wrong motivation going into the fight. Barry said he didn't ask anyone for money including his mother:

"I could ask someone but then at the same time, how hard are you going to work for something if everytime you get in trouble somebody catches you? I did something to put myself in this position I have to work my way out of it."

Listen to Barry talk about his troubles before the fight:Barry got his $120,000 bonus check last Tuesday. He couldn't believe it. When he went to deposit the check, his truck wouldn't start. Barry got a jump and hit the bank sporting a black eye and pink striped shorts.

"I go to the bank, I'm sweaty, I've got the black eye, I haven't shaven in two days, I'm strung out because I haven't slept, I have green circles under my eyes so I'm like 'Can I have a deposit slip mam?'. She gives it to me, I fill it out hand it to her. She looks at the deposit slip, then the check, then looks at me and says 'Excuse me I'll be right back.' Then a manager comes out, a guy in a suit and says 'What seems to be the problem?' I was like 'Well I have a black eye, that's the only problem I know this looks really ridiculous.' So he asks me for my ID, I hand him my license an he's like 'Your license says Pat Barry, but this check was written to Patrick Barry.' So I decided to be funny and tell him Pat Barry is in my trunk right now. He didnt laugh. So I told him take your time man do whatever you need to do because I have no where to go and my truck probably wont start when I go outside so you can just do whatever you need to do. An hour later he came back and everything was fine, the check was in my bank account."

Right Brain (58%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain.Left Brain (42%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain